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3.14 - Episode 23 of Mr. Sunshine

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 23 of Mr. Sunshine, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Lee Byung-hun as Eugene Choi, Kim Tae-ri as Go Ae-shin, Yoo Yeon-Seok as Goo Dong-mae, Kim Min-jung as Hina Kudo, and Byun Yo-han as Kim Hee-sung. We discuss:

  • The beautiful songs during our recap, especially Glory by Nam Hye Seung and Park Sang Hee, the duo responsible for so many instrumental songs on K Drama OSTs

  • How we’ve lost so many people in this show: Gunner Jang, Hina Kudo, Ms. Haman, Mr. Haengryan, Hong Pa, Go Sa-hong

  • How Eugene has finally found a way to be with Ae-shin

  • How Eugene saves Ae-shin from the rubble of the hotel and ends up treating her wounds; he’s saved her again!

  • Why Hina Kudo made the decision to blow up the Glory Hotel

  • How Dong-mae is back, he takes over control of the Musin Society, but he knows he has just a few days until more samurai arrive to kill him

  • Hina Kudo’s sad confession to Dong-mae that she loved him and waited for him

  • How Dong-me and Eugene are working together to protect Ae-shin

  • How the Musin Society is based on the Black Dragon Society, which was a prominent paramilitary, ultranationalist group in Japan

  • Hui-seung’s underground newspaper and how he’s committed himself to documenting the Japanese atrocities

  • How the world has abandoned Joseon; the US ignored the Treaty of Peace, Amity, Commerce and Navigation, also known as the Shufeldt Treaty, the Korea signed with the US

  • The K Drama elements we see in this episode: piggyback ride, food, alcohol, crying

  • The shows we’re considering for Season 4 of K Drama Chat


References


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K Drama Chat is a weekly podcast where we take one Korean (K) Drama each season and and recap and analyze each episode. K Drama Chat is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher.

Comments

  1. Lizzy ClaesSeptember 1, 2026 at 4:18 AM

    I interpreted the reunion scene of Eugene and Ae-Shin, where Ae-shin on medicines is being nursed by Eugene, as quite affirmative for Eugene, because Ae-shin still thinks of him after all these years and wish for him the best (and that is too leave Joseon as it is a living hell).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lizzy ClaesSeptember 1, 2026 at 4:33 AM

    Secondly, I hear you talking about the fake marriage, and indeed the marriage was an instrument to get Ae-Shin into Japan. But I believe that in their hearts there are married as well. For Eugene, it is quite obvious as he says that the ring signifies the wife he loves. For Ae-shin, if she later realises that in the fake marriage a second ring is needed for the husband, she could have asked him to put the ring on his finger in order to cover up their marriage, but she does not. Ae-shin puts the ring on Eugene's finger and says that she loves him. In this way, you could see that they have married each other, not officially, but mentally/emotionally. Later, when they take the picture together, the camera zooms in how they both deliberalty turn the rings on their fingers in a way that they could be seen on the photograph.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LizzySeptember 1, 2026 at 10:24 AM

    And now, I have to find the strength to listen to your podcast of episode 24.. If have the same feelings as you. It are hearthbreaking stories, but to realise that the history events are real, makes it even more hearthbreaking. Thank you for being my therapy in surviving this series.

    ReplyDelete

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